Thursday, December 23, 2010

Well, it doesn't have quite the same ring to it as Rudolph, but we decided it didn't matter what we called him- he's just cute!

After dinner, Palmer was playing on his quilt & I was 'trying' to get some things checked off my list. Well the only thing on Palmer's list was to get to the tree & destroy. We had several search & rescue efforts going on. After I laid him back on his play quilt Mike started laughing & reaching for the camera, because he brought back a present with him, stuck to his head.

Monday, December 20, 2010

It has been so refreshing to experience Christmas through the eyes of Palmer this year. He is literally in awe of everything Christmas- especially the lights. He gets so still & just watches, then he wants to dig in & touch! This year, more than ever, it has been a gentle reminder to us- to pause- be still- stand in awe of what the birth of Christ means to us; what the birth of Christ gave us- let's all dig in!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Well, it's time to post Palmer's 7 month update since he'll be 8 months soon:) This little boy is keeping us on our toes! Everyday he gets more & more mobile, so life gets more & more interesting. Our lives are so different now than they were 7 months ago, but we can't imagine life without our sweet Palmer. What did we do before we had him?!? This was by far the hardest monthly pictures to date & will probably be the last that I attempt with out Mike present. I maybe got 2 pictures of him looking forward and sitting.

Milestones:

Believe it or not, Palmer actually lost a little weight this past month- down to a whopping 18 lbs, 2 ounces, which is the 40th percentile for weight- I was shocked!

His appetite has slowed down some, but he LOVES to feed himself Puffs. He concentrates so hard to grab the puffs with his thumb & pointer finger- once he's got one it goes straight to the mouth; this keeps him occupied for a while & I can eat my lunch.

Palmer thinks he's one pretty cool baby & loves to see himself in the mirror.

He started talking like a Swahellee (sp?) baby this month & it is just hilarious- we're still trying to capture it on video.

We made our second trip to Mississippi at Thanksgiving & Palmer was awesome. On the way back we drove from Birmingham to Macon without stopping!

Eventhough our family thought we were crazy, we took Palmer to his first Rebels game over Thanksgiving. He's was so bundled up that I don't think he could move, but he did so well & slept through the first quarter.

STILL no teeth!

The Stomach Flu 2010 hit our house in a very violent way... but Palmer made it out unscathed- we were so thankful.

Extras:

Palmer did NOT want to sit- I guess he had better things to do:)

'Well if she's gonna stick me in this chair, I might as well pick on Mr. Monkey.'

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Well... I went to post Palmer's 7 month update & didn't see his 6 month update or our fall review post- it's a mystery! So please bear with me as I re-post. It seems really odd to re-type all of these milestones because Palmer is like a different child now- needless to say, I'm glad I've kept track of these milestones because he changes so quickly. At the half-way point of his first year, Palmer is complete joy in our lives & a healthy, thriving baby!

Milestones:

Tipping the scales at 18 pounds 4 ounces (50%) & 27.6 inches (78%)

The first thing people comment on when they see Palmer are his eyes & then immediatley his cheeks- they are just plum delicious!!!

Becoming more & more of a sitter. Palmer can play for long periods sitting up, but then gets tired & crashes to the floor & starts to roll around & play.

We've nicknamed him 'Roly Poly' & not b/c of the cheeks:) He rolls EVERYWHERE & can't be contained. If I leave the room for a second & come back he's in a totally new spot- usually under a piece of furniture:)

He's stopped his obession with his feet & it's back to the hands.

Palmer's favorite toy is still his exersaucer- he rarely gets in his swing.

We've started using the Johnny Jump Up & he'll tolerate it pretty well. His hands get stuck & he gets mad!

Palmer loves his toys, but he also loves the 'non-toys'; tags, paper, strings, & boxes top the list.

He notices it when I leave the room more & more- it makes me feel loved & drives me crazy at the same time:)

Palmer is 100% a free man in bed, no swaddling. He has started to sleep better & better on his tummy- finally!

Palmer has transitioned to solid food very well; he'll eat pretty much anything I make him & usually isn't too pleased when I tell him 'All Done' & wipe his mouth.

LOVES his Mum Mums & thinks he's big stuff feeding himself.

I try to leave the house at least once a day because Palmer loves new people & new places. (Sometimes I feel like he gets bored at home)

Dan & Pap surprised Palmer with a new swing for our playset & he is so cute swinging- he'll blink coming forward because of the breeze & just grin & squeal when push him back.

Palmer had his first playdate at the park with his new friends Stella Grace & Luke. They are about 6 months older than Palmer, so he loved to watch them.

He also attended his first birthday party & was soooooo good- Mike & I were very surprised at how good he was.

Bathtime is a favorite still & Palmer thinks he has to sit-up now. It makes for more work for mommy & daddy, but he sure does love it!

Extras:

Getting a picture of Palmer looking at the camera was a fun challenge this month. I got a WHOLE lot of the following, but it's great because it really captures Palmer's personality! He is so curious about everything around him, so he had fun with Mr. Monkey. He also realized that his chair rocks... that was fun watching him try to rock back-n-forth to get the chair to move.

'Hey there Mr. Monkey'

'I think I'll have a little taste.'

'You're going down buddy!'

'Gotcha! It's just me & you!'

Palmer could feel the sign on his head when he would lean back, so he would turn around & look at it like what are you doing to me.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

For those that know Mike & I, you know that we're pretty darn crazy about our 4 legged children. I still refer to them as my babies & you will rarely hear me say the word D-O-G because I just don't see them that way. They are so much more than that to us. I know some people think we're crazy, we've lost our minds, but it doesn't bother us. We got them to love them & that we do! We could never have imagined all that they have added to our lives & we're better people because of them (again, some people think, really?!?) I even sent out First Birthday cards when they turned one:) The picture below was on the card & yes, I made their hats! We can't believe that they are now FIVE!!! So, we have to pay tribute to our beloved Jake & Lucy. We love you guys!

I scrounged through my picture archives to get some of Jake & Lucy with our two-legged child. Palmer loves them more & more each day and it's so neat to see them interact with each other. Sometimes it's like a comedy show trying to get a picture of the 3 of them. At first, they really kept their distance with the occasional close-up sniff. Now we can get them to lay next to Palmer, but getting them all to look at the same time... you can forget it. But, we always get a good laugh. Hope you enjoy!

3 Weeks old

6 Weeks old

3 Months Old

6 Months Old

To our frisky little girl, Lucy: We love you so much, even when you beg for your belly to be rubbed 500 times a day with the hydralic leg. You make us laugh with you agressive behavior one minute & then your shy nature the next. You truly are a daddy's girl & always curl-up next to him at night for some special loving. Happy 5 Years Squirly Girl!

To our tender hearted boy, Jake: You're about twice the size of your sister & love to push her around at times, but when she chases after you, off to mama you run for safety. You are the 'Alpha' dog & very smart & quick to learn. You don't demand as much attention as sister, but when you need some loving, you let us know. You are a mama's boy & love to act like an 80 pound lap dog & sit in my lap!!! We love you so much Buster Boy!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

At our last MOPS meeting, I was asked my favorite time of day. I didn't hesitate & said when Palmer wakes up & I hear his little chatter. I know when I open his door, he will be straining to turn around & see me & then I get the biggest grin. It really does melt my heart!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A few weeks ago, we made a whirlwind trip to Valdosta- we were there for less than 24 hours- for Naomi's baptism! Originally we intended to stay for a few days & visit because Mike had the week off, but arrangements for Jake & Lucy fell thru, so we just got to stay one night):

We started off the trip kinda rough- Palmer wasn't thrilled with the car ride & mommy got carsick. We pulled over in the middle of no where for a break & the sunset was just beautiful. I guess Palmer just wanted his picture taken, so he had to pitch a fit to get us to stop:)

When we arrived, Alex & Naomi were tucked snuggly in bed, so we didn't get to see them until the morning. We woke up to the nice pitter patter of Alex's happy feet running through the house. We squeezed in a great visit before church- Palmer & Naomi were so cute checking each other out. We were too busy visiting & oohing over babies to take pictures.

After Church, I got to snap a few shot of this cutie pie in her special dress. Emily & her sister Erin both wore this dress when they were baptized, so it made it extra special. We started off with all smiles...

... but then she'd had enough & said no more, I just can't take it!

I was able to sneek in some detailed shots- I just love sweet hands...

... and sweet feet.

Emily snapped this picture as we were saying our goodbyes. I'm so sad Naomi was napping because I just LOVE it- next time we'll get all 7 of us!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

We have a nice little agreement in our house: Mike does all of the adult laundry & Brooke does all the little people laundry... not a shabby deal in my book:) Except when I fall behind... Somehow Palmer's laundry multiplied overnight & I feel like today was catch-up day. But, nothing makes me happier than to see nice, clean baby laundry piled up!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Saturday, October 30, 2010

A highlight of our recent trip to Oxford was going to see the Rebels & tailgating in 'The Grove'. We've been to at least one Ole Miss game a year since Mike & I have known each other, but this was the first time we tailgated. I think Ole Miss is better known for the tailgating in 'The Grove' than they are for football! (Sorry Mike:) We were even more excited to take Palmer. Gogo & Gramps graciously offered to babysit Palmer & Avery during the game & we took them up on the offer. So we all headed to campus for some fun with much anticipation of a win over Vandy... the win never happened, but we still had a great time. It was the longest that I had been away from my little man, but he was in great hands & loved playing with his Gramps- oh how I wish I had some pictures of them playing!

Before we left, Palmer decided to have a little pre-game snack on Avery's hand.

This is just a small (very, very small) sampling of the tent & food set-up in the grove. It really is pretty impressive. Some people go ALL OUT- hang chandeliers, beautiful fresh floral arrangements, amazing spreads of food, red and blue decorations galore, & Hotty Toddy plastered everywhere. I don't want to mislead you either- this wasn't our tent... ours was a little more modest:) But, the food was oh, so yummy!

When we first arrived, Mike wanted to take Palmer on a stroll around campus & this is how they returned to the tent... saked out!

Before the kiddos headed off with Gramps & Gogo, we took some family pictures. There was so much to look at, so Palmer didn't have time to look at the camera.

I'm not really sure what he was looking at, but he thought it was pretty funny.

We hoped Avery was predicting many Rebel touchdowns... but we were sadly mistaken.

This is on my list of favorite pictures- I just LOVE her expression!

We asked Avery to kiss Palmer & this is what we got- she went for it all. I'm not naming names, but she had to learn this from someone... I wonder how Mommy & Daddy kiss?!? ;)

Mike & I usually have a traditional self-portrait in the stadium- not this year. I was scared to ask because of the poor Rebel performance. So this is all I have from the stadium- at least the flag guy did his job well that day.

We returned home to very happy kiddos & I think a very happy Gramps & Gogo. Thanks again for allowing us some kid-free time! While Palmer was taking a nap, Avery & Gramps were playing outside and I snapped a few pictures. Again, I just love them & her expressions- pure delight & playfullness!